If Johnny Desmond had had Sinatra's punctured eardrum he too would have dodged the draft but, instead, he did his duty with Glenn Miller's Band of the AEF.
On this track it's not Desmond's vocal that I'm listening to, great as it is, but the superb guitar accompaniment by Tony Mottola. This is the icing on the cake. Paradoxically, Mottola later became one of Sinatra's accompanists. He also recorded a host of albums under his own name some jazz and some easy listening popular material. These latter albums may explain why he is often overlooked by some jazz guitar enthusiasts.
He is worth checking out - his first recording was a duet with Carl Kress back in 1945 which wasn't a bad place to start!
Mottola died in 2004 aged 86. Desmond died in 1985 aged 65.
Lance
2 comments :
One of the now underrated vocalists. That is a very nice album worth having it in anyone's collection.
Reading this prompted me to check back to an old jazz guitar magazine I have. I remembered reading a lengthy article telling of Tony Mottola's great reputation and the esteem in which he was held. I think he was another of those fabulous session players who could work in shows, do studio sessions, really do it all at the highest level. He was Sinatra's accompanist for many years as you say and an NBC staff musician. Players like Mottola, Barry Galbraith, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gene Bertoncini, Remo Palmier(i), and I'm sure others not named here, were perhaps content to do that type of 'bread & butter' work and still have a family life. I believe Galbraith only toured once, depping for Sal Salvador (I think with Kenton) as his wife was expecting. Galbraith liked to get home to his family and do a bit of fishing at weekends. These guys were the cream.
Roly
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